Iowa State's University Museums is hosting a day-long exhibition symposium on Saturday, September 28 in conjunction with the Artists in Iowa: The First Century exhibition. The symposium will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the newly renovated Brunnier Art Museum on the second floor of the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus, 1805 Center Drive, Ames.

Artists in Iowa: The First Century, an exhibition and publication, will be a significant examination of the art produced in Iowa from the mid-19th century up to 1950. Works of art by over forty artists will be included and both will be first attempts to truly delve into the historical arts of Iowa since 1939, along with their impact on the state and the country. These will be key additions to broadening the understanding of the history of the arts in Iowa.

The exhibition symposium sessions will feature regional speakers who will expand on ideas and themes of the exhibition. Lectures and panel discussions will address topics of cultural and political climate, environmental changes to the state, artists in Iowa’s first century of statehood and art of the Meskwaki Nation. Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong, Art Historian and Guest Curator of the Artists in Iowa: The First Century exhibition will give a curator talk the evening before the symposium as well as introduce topics during the program.

Scheduled speakers include:

  • Dr. Jeff Bremer, Associate Professor of History, Iowa State University
  • Dr. Sebastian Braun, Director of American Indian Studies, Iowa State University
  • Johnathan L. Buffalo, Historic Preservation Director, Meskwaki Museum & Cultural Center, Tama, Iowa
  • Dr. C. Lee Burras, Professor of Agronomy, Iowa State University
  • Dr. Joni Kinsey, Professor of American Art History, University of Iowa
  • Dr. Maura Lyons, Professor of Art History, Drake University
  • Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong, Guest Curator and Art Historian
  • Jerome Thompson, retired State of Iowa Curator (1978-2015)
  • Gaylord Torrence, Senior Curator of American Indian Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
  • Dawn Suzanne Wanatee, Co-creator of Meskwaki History CD

An optional self-guided walking tour of first century public art on the Iowa State campus will be offered at the conclusion of the day.

This event is free and open to the public. A boxed lunch can be purchased for $18 at the time of registration. Online registration is available through Eventbrite. Please note: all attendees must register for the event through Eventbrite, regardless of if they are purchasing a box lunch.

This event is made possible by the Kathy and John Howell Art Enrichment Program. The project is also supported, in part, by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Image caption: Street Scene, by Christine R. Glasell, 1939. Oil on canvas. In the permanent collection, Brunnier Art Museum, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.